Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 55: Lost & Found

I wasted no time and banged on the door.
"Eiffel!" I shouted. "Dad! Eiffel! It's Jess!" Eiffel's peculiar eyes were covered by her eyelids. Benjamin's were covered too. "Guys!" I kicked at the door, but I realized it was metal.
"Jess, Jess, what's wrong? What is it?"
"Look!" I kept pounding.
"Wait, is that--?"
"That's my dad on the right," I said. "Man, do I want more times to spend with him."
"Hey!" Ace shouted this time. "Wake up! Your son's here! Hey!"
We hear Sarra's footsteps heading our way, Alice and Zach are right behind her.
"Guys, what is it?" she asked. It took her a few moments to realize what's through the glass. "Wait, I thought you said Eiffel was dead."
"I thought so too--André must've captured them after the explosion. But what for?"
Sarra gasped. "Jess, it's not--Jess, don't take the bait. This is just his way of keeping you here," she said. Zach grabs my arm, my left arm.
"I'm not gonna let anybody else I love die. Not again," I said. He shook his head.
"But this isn't the right time to see them again. There'll be a right time, but not necessarily now."
I shake my head also. "I'm sorry, but I just have to." I snatch the gun he took from the clone earlier.
"Jess--"
I shot the card access system panel. The sirens blare from above.
"I told you, Jess!"
I shrug it off and slide myself inside the room. I hold on to Eiffel's cold hand and whispered her name with a small sob.
"Jess, we gotta get out of here," Alice said.
"What am I supposed to do?" I ask.
"Let me go, Alice," Zach said.
"But, Zach, your leg. It's still--"
"I said let me go!" he shouted. "I'm helping him no matter what I said."
"I'll keep watch," Sarra said, taking Zach's gun from my hand.
"Me too," said Ace.
"No, Ace," said Zach. "You keep on looking through the doors for our powers."
I remove the oxygen mask from her face and detached all the wires from her body, Zach did the same thing. I run my hand through her hair, which was drenched in sweat.
"Oh gosh, what did he do to you? You poor thing." I kiss and rub her forehead.
"You love her don't you?" Zach looked sincere as he said it.
"Yeah. I guess we are capable of finding love in hopeless places."
"We have to go." It sounded like he ruined the moment.
Eiffel's head shifts to the left, facing me. Her eyes flutter as she gasped for air. She mumbles something, but I could not make out the words.
"What? What is it? Eiffel, speak to me."
"Jess, you're...here," she said weakly.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm here." I put my hand on her cheek.
"They did something..." She breathed heavily. "to my system."
"Who? The clones?"
"Yes."
"Let me ask you something real quick: Do you know where he kept our powers?"
"Five doors down the hallway."
Then Ace's screams fill the hallway, "I found them, I found them!"
"I managed to save this." She reached down and stuck her hand inside her left boot. She holds out a small glass vial with green liquid which was labeled: JE02.
"What is it?" I ask.
"It's one of your powers, but that's not all of it. He's using it for something else, I don't know what."
"He just won't wake up!" Zach blurted out. "His vital signs are stable, but he seems to be in hyper-sleep."
Ace comes in, holding up a small drawstring pouch. "I got our powers, come on let's get out of here!"
"His dad's still unconscious. Help me get him out," Zach said to Alice.
Zach effortlessly lifted dad's arms over his shoulder, as if he's about to sling him forward. Alice immitated him as well.
"Be careful with him, okay?"
"Don't worry, Jess. We won't try to destroy anything valuable."
Sarra's footsteps head back to the room. She rested her hands on her knees, panting.
"Sarra, what is it?" I ask. I help Eiffel out of the chair, our arms wrapped around each other's shoulders.
"They're coming!"
"We'll be out of here in no time, come on!"
"Yeah, let's just make a run for it!" Ace said. I secure the vial in my pocket as we ran out.